Estate Planning Package
Estate Planning Package – $440 (incl GST)
As you grow older or as your circumstances change it is very important that you have an up-to-date Will and Enduring Power of Attorney and Guardianship documents so that you can appoint people to manage your affairs if you fall ill or your health declines.
A Will outlines what you want to happen to your assets, such as your property, bank accounts, and heirlooms, when you die. If you do not have a Will your assets will be inherited by eligible relatives in accordance with the Succession Act 2006, which may not be what you wish to happen.
Part 4 of the Succession Act sets out the order of eligible relatives:
- If the deceased leaves a spouse and no children, the spouse is entitled to the whole estate.
- If the deceased leaves a spouse and children, and the children are the spouse’s children, the spouse is entitled to the whole estate.
- If the deceased leaves a spouse and children, but the children are not the spouse’s children, the spouse is entitled to:
- the intestate’s personal effects (defined in section 101), and
- a statutory legacy of $350,000 plus adjustment for CPI from December 2005, and interest if the statutory legacy is not paid in full within one year of the date of death (for the definition of statutory legacy, see section 106)
- one-half of the remainder (if any) of the estate.
The order of relatives who can inherit your assets if you do not have a spouse is as follows:
- children
- parents
- brothers and sisters
- grandparents
- aunts and uncles
- cousins
Each category of relatives must be exhausted before moving on to the next. Once an eligible relative is found, the process stops, and the eligible relative is deemed to inherit your assets.
A Power of Attorney document appoints one or more persons with legal authority to act on your behalf to manage your assets and make financial and legal decisions on your behalf, such as sell your house or withdraw your money.
An Enduring Guardianship document appoints one or more persons to make decisions about your health and lifestyle in the event you cannot make these decisions for yourself, such as deciding where you live or what medical services you receive.
Mathey Solicitors offer an affordable and simple solution.
Our Estate Planning Package includes a Simple Will*, Enduring Power of Attorney and Enduring Guardianship documents for $440 (incl GST, per person). In a no-obligation consultation, our solicitors will discuss with you the benefits and purpose of the documents included in the Estate Planning Package.
If you would like to proceed and arrange for the documents to be prepared, a second visit with your solicitor will be organised. In your second visit, you will sign your documents, receive certified copies and we will hold the original documents for you in safe custody free of charge.
Alternatively, we can discuss the benefits and purpose of the documents over the phone or by email, requiring only a single in-person visit to our office.
If you have limited mobility, we can visit your home in the local government area, free of charge!
*If you would like an in-depth assessment of your complex estate or testamentary trust will, additional fees apply.
Give us a call on 02 4284 0066 or email us to book an appointment.